There have been many proposals for encoding audio associated with an image such as, for example, a photographic image, or a document, to enable the encoded audio to be printed as an audio format with, or for application to, the image or document. Subsequently, a scanner is used to scan the printed audio format to enable the encoded audio to be decoded, and reproduced. This requires a separate scanner able to communicate with a sound reproducing system, or to download the scanned data into a sound reproducing system. Such scanners are also prone to errors in reading the printed audio format, as they are hand operated.